India has pledged to support Nigeria’s efforts to rebuild its struggling cotton, textile and garment industry through technology transfer, investment partnerships, skills training, and stronger cooperation across the textile value chain.
The commitment was announced by Abhishek Singh during a textile business meeting in Abuja themed “Reviving the Textile Industry in Nigeria.”
The event, organised by the Indian High Commission, brought together government officials, business leaders, and industry stakeholders to discuss ways of rebuilding Nigeria’s textile manufacturing sector.
Speaking at the event, Singh said India and Nigeria have a long-standing economic relationship built on complementary strengths. He noted that Nigeria’s large population and growing demand for affordable textiles make it an important market for India.
According to him, India remains one of the world’s largest textile producers and exporters, with textile and apparel exports reaching 37.75 billion dollars during the 2024/2025 financial year.
“Nigeria is Africa’s largest democracy with a growing population and rising demand for affordable textiles, while India is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of cotton, yarn, fabrics and garments,” Singh said.
However, he noted that textile trade between both countries remains below its full potential due to import restrictions, high transport costs, foreign exchange shortages, and competition from cheaper Asian imports.
Singh revealed that Nigeria’s textile exports stood at 25.69 million dollars in 2024, with India accounting for only five per cent of that total.
As part of the new collaboration, India is encouraging its companies to establish textile processing facilities in Nigeria’s major cotton-producing states, including Katsina State and Zamfara State.
He explained that instead of exporting only finished fabrics to Nigeria, Indian firms could invest directly in local ginning, spinning, and processing plants to reduce import dependence and support Nigeria’s Cotton, Textile and Garment Policy.
India also plans to support Nigeria with modern textile machinery, digital printing systems, dyeing technology, and technical training for local workers and manufacturers.
According to Singh, discussions are already underway between India’s National Institute of Fashion Technology and fashion institutions in Lagos to strengthen design and technical skills in the sector.
He further announced plans to launch an India-Nigeria Bi-Monthly Trade Webinar Series in partnership with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry to improve business connections between exporters and importers in both countries.
“We need to move the textile trade from transactional to transformational. India brings scale, cost efficiency and technical depth, while Nigeria offers market size and design innovation,” Singh said.
Speaking at the event, Jani Ibrahim said Nigeria’s textile industry remains important for industrial growth, job creation, and exports.
Represented by Adesoji Adesugba, Ibrahim warned that Nigeria’s textile imports rose sharply from 726.18 billion naira in 2024 to around 1.06 trillion naira in 2025, while exports declined during the same period.
“This is not merely a trade statistic; it is an urgent call to rebuild productive capacity,” he said.
He added that reviving the industry would require rebuilding the full cotton-to-garment value chain, upgrading machinery, improving training, expanding access to finance, and creating stronger markets for locally made products.
Emeka Obegolu also said the textile industry could become a major source of jobs and economic growth if properly developed.
Represented by Agabaidu Jideani, Obegolu said Nigeria’s textile sector was once a major part of the country’s industrial economy and could become globally competitive again with the right reforms and investment.
Meanwhile, Greene Amakwe described Aba as a key industrial centre capable of leading Nigeria’s textile and garment revival.
He said that with better infrastructure, training, and standardisation, Aba could grow from an informal manufacturing hub into a globally competitive production centre.
